OILDALE — A Bakersfield burglary suspect was arrested in Oildale last week during a routine traffic stop.
Aaron Kirschenman, 47 of Bakersfield, was booked into the Kern County Jail for burglary, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Kirschenman was taken into custody on Saturday, September 5, after a deputy located a vehicle matching the description of one that was captured on a video surveillance camera during a series of thefts that occurred in the business district near Pegasus Drive and Merle Haggard Drive over the past several months.
The vehicle, a black Dodge truck, was spotted by a deputy while it was traveling on Decatur Street in nearby Oildale.
Pegasus Drive approaching Merle Haggard Drive
“Deputies initiated a traffic stop for a vehicle violation, and found several items of stolen property inside the truck from a recent burglary near Pegasus Drive,” said Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Ray Pruitt.
Following his arrest, detectives from the KCSO Rural Crime Unit searched two residences associated with Kirschenman, and said they located several more items of stolen property with an estimated value of $10,000.
Further investigation linked Kirschenman to four separate accounts of stolen property, including a theft that occurred during the late night hours and early morning on Pegasus Drive, in which he is accused of stealing copper wire, hand/power tools and other construction equipment.
According to available records, Kirschenman was arrested in May of last year for possession of a controlled substance and driving an unregistered vehicle. In February of that year he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Prior to those most recent incidents, records going back to 2009 show he was arrested in November of that year for domestic violence – inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or co-habitant. Two years later he was arrested for burglary and exhibiting a deadly weapon after he had been caught breaking into an RV and stealing a television. His wife Irene was with him at the time, but claimed not to know about the burglary. The following month, in January of 2012, he was charged with burglary, possessing burglary tools and stolen property, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Later in 2012 the Kern County Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation into a burglary at the County Mosquito and Vector Control District building. A motorcycle belonging to Aaron Kirscheman was found at the scene of a damaged fence line. Search warrants served at Kirchenman’s home revealed $3,000 worth of stolen equipment there. Another search warrant at an accomplice’s home turned up a firearm and methamphetamine. As a result, Aaron and Irene Kirschenman were arrested, along with Travis Swanson and Shana Adams. Aaron was charged with burglary, possession of burglar’s tools and stolen property, transportation and possession for sale of controlled substances, and keeping a place to sell or use controlled substances.
His wife was charged with being an accessory and possession of stolen property and controlled substances. She was also charged with filing a false police report after reporting Aaron’s motorcycle stolen in an effort to cover up his involvement in the burglary. She later faced discipline from the California State Pharmacy Board. As a registered pharmacist, she lost her license due to her involvement in the crimes with her husband, and the suspicion that she had brought home unauthorized prescription pills from the pharmacy.
Aaron Kirschnman was arrested one year later, in June of 2013 on charges of burglary, grand theft, possession of stolen property, and vandalism with over $5,000.00 in damage. No further details of that incident were available.
Read More: KERO – Turn to 23.com
Pharmacy.ca.gov – Irene Kirscheman accusation
CrimeVoice staff contributed to this report
